Charles wittenberg



' *Patented Mar. 15, 1887.

Pnl

(No Model.) y'

C. WITTEN-BERG'.

RETURN ATTACHMENT FCR TRLRPHCNR TOLL COLLECTORS.

No. 359.306-I UNITED STATES :PATENT OFFICE.

' CHARLES WITTENBERG, OF INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA, ASSIGNOR rIO EDVAED G. CORNELIUS, OF SAME PLACE.

RETURN ATTACHMENT FOR TELEPHONE TOLL-COLLECTORS.

SPECIFICATION' forming part of Letters Patent No, 359,306, dated March 15, 1887.

l Application filclbseptember 9, 1886. Serial No. 213,055. (No model.)

To all whom/.it nul/,y concern:

Be it known that l, CHARLES WITTENEEEG, a citizen ofthe United States, residing at Inl dianapolis, in the county of Marion and State of Indiana, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Return Attachments for Telephone Ioll-Collectors, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to an improvementin 1o thatclass of telephone toll-collectorsin which the connection with the telephone apparatus at a subscribers station is such that a coin must be deposited in the toll-collector before the telephone can be operated. 1 The object of my improvement is to provid means whereby they coin can be returned to the depositorby the operator at the exchangestation in case the desired connectionwith another subscriber cannot be made, as hereinafter fully described.

The accompanying drawings villustrate my invention.

Figure 1 represents a side elevation of my improvement applied to a telephone toll-col- 2 5 lecting apparatus which forms the subjectmatter of another application, N o. 206,104, the outside of the case covering the improvement having been removed. Figs. 2, 3, and 4 represent vertical sections on the line a a, Fig. 1,showing different positions of the working parts. A represents the toll-collector shown in my above-mentioned pending application. It consists, essentially, of a sliding bar, b, which is connected with the switch-lever and receiversupport c, so as to move up and down therewith, a locking-lever, d, (shown in dotted lines,) and a coin-chute, e, the arrangement being such that when a coin is placed in the chute e it operates "to disengage the lockinglever from the sliding bar and thereby release the switch-lever, the coin then passing direct from chute e to alocked drawer. For the purpose of detaining the coin after it leaves chute e and directing it either to the drawer f or to the return-chute l, I provide a short rectangular tube, z', which is pivoted at j to the case Bin a position to receive the coin as it leaves chute e. Below tube ,in the lower 5e part of ease B, are two chutes, 7c and l. Chute k is Straight, and leads directly to the cashdrawer f. ChuteZ is curved outward, and the outer end is closed, but cut away at the sides, so as to retain, but atthe same time expose, the coin, as at a, Fig. 1.

D is an electro-magnet arranged in thesame electric circuit with the telephone.

To the backV of tube t is secured a soft-iron armature, o. Magnet D is arranged so that .the armature o shall be within its field of at- 6o traction. A light spiral spring, p, is inserted in the core of the magnet and projects slightly therefrom, so that tube t' stands normally over the partition r, between the chute 7c and Z, the armature o resting againstspring p, as in Fig. 6 5 2. Extending from the lower end of bar b is an arm, s, carrying a wedge, t,whicl1 engages a pin, u,which projects from the edge of tube z'.

The operation of my device is as follows: The telephone-receiver having been removed 7o from the switch-lever c, and the telephone at a subscribers station being in connection with the exchange-station, the tube i and arm sare in the position shown in Fig. 2. The coin, passing from chute e,fallsinto tube ,and rests 75 with its lower edge on the partition r, between chutes Zand 7c. If the operator at the exchangestation nds that the connection desired by the subscriber cannot be made, he sends, by means of his call-circuit, or a suitable loat- 8o tery, a strong electric current through the subscribers line, thus energizing the magnet D, which, drawing tube toward it, brings the tube and coin a over chute Z, as in Fig. 3. The coin falls into said chute, and, coming into view, as in Fig. 1, is removed by the person at the telephone. If, however', the desired connection is made, tube 't' remains in its normal position until bar b, with its arm s, moving downward with the switch-lever when the tele- 9o phone-receiver -is hung up, brings wedge t in contact with pin a, and thus forces the tube i outward over chute 7c, as in Fig. 4, and the coin passes through chute 7c to the drawer f.

I claim as my invention- 1. In a return attachment for toll-collectors, the combination of the stationary chute arranged to receive a coin, two auxiliary chutes arranged below said stationary chute, the intermediate swinging tube arranged t0 reroo ceive a coin from said stationary chute and to deliver the same to either of said auxiliary chutes, the electro-magnet arranged to draw said tube into position to deliver its contents into one of the two auxiliary chutes, a ineving part of a telephone apparatus, as the switch-lever, and intermediate mechanism connecting said switclrlever and swinging tube, wherebythe tube is swung into position to deliver its contents into the other of said chutes by the movement of the switch-lever, all arranged to cooperate substantially as specified.

2. The combination, with the stationary coin-receiving chute of a toll-collector and a stationary auxiliary chute arranged to receive the coin after leaving said chute, of an interposed swingiug tube arranged to receive thc coin from said receiving-chute, a stop arranged opposite the free end of said tube,

CHARLES \V[TTEN BERG fitnesscsz H. l). Hoon, V. M. Hoon. 

